Yoyo Wu Takes Charge of Her Brand

Yoyo Wu remembers sitting on the roof of her middle school with her best friend Ray, talking about the Internet and using his first computer, an Intel Pentium MMX 166.

It was 1998, and they were caught up in the excitement and luck of having a computer with net access in their small town in southern China.

Over the years, their dreams and their relationship evolved. They married, immersed themselves in their careers—and two years ago had a daughter.

Wu, now a full-time MBA student, earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Jinan University in China. She worked five years as an accountant and auditor there before moving to the Bay Area in 2010 for her husband’s software engineering job.

She’s brought deep international business experience to the School’s community. With her MBA, Wu says that she and her husband hope to one day launch a high-tech startup together. She would be chief financial officer, a role that includes both accounting and financial analysis.

Wu started her career with Big-Four accounting firm KPMG LLP in China as an auditor in the banking industry. She managed teams auditing banks, credit unions and insurance companies.

She enjoyed KPMG but also wanted exposure to different industries. She moved to Ernest & Young in China, where she worked in the company’s new risk-management department, auditing the operations of Internet, electrical, chemical and cosmetic manufacturing companies. “My job was to find solutions for clients who did not have enough human resources or in-house expertise,” she says.

After a one-year stint at Ernest & Young, Wu moved to the Beijing-based NSFOCUS Information Technology Co. Ltd, a leading computer network security company with subsidiaries in the United States and Japan. NSFOCUS hired Wu without a job description. The company was growing fast—and ultimately went public on January 29, 2014.

Wu established herself as the internal auditor. She developed a risk assessment model, looking at general risks—which can occur in any industry—and risks specific to the company. Her job was tough. Colleagues mistrusted her motives. She worked hard to change that image.

“Usually people don’t like auditors,” she says. “They were always reviewing what you have done and trying to figure out what you have done wrong and report that to your boss.”

To gain their trust and respect, she joined some of the company’s social clubs, including an English language club and a running club, even though she doesn’t run. She wanted her colleagues to get to know her “nice and easy-going” personality. Once they did, she figured, they would realize her motives were good.

Her hard work paid off for that job and for her future studies. “I found it was very useful when I came to business school and people talk about ‘personal branding’,” Wu says. “I felt I had already done so in my previous job. [Your job] is just one of your brands. I tried hard to protect my brand.”

At the School, Wu became an MBA Ambassador, helping prospective students learn more about the culture and student experience at UC Davis. She also became president of the Women in Leadership Club and focused on bringing in successful businesswomen to share with students how they have balanced a high-powered career, children, a partner and other responsibilities.

“There’s always a need for women leaders,” she says. “I see the glass ceiling is not as strong as before, so I see a lot of potential for women to develop their career in companies. Our vision would be: ‘Just go for it’.”

An internship last summer at Brocade provided Wu with valuable exposure to a high-tech company in Silicon Valley. “Working in the finance department to collaborate with different functions, I saw how revenue was generated, how money was spent to pull business, how processes and people’s mindsets evolved as projects and the company grew,” she says. “My team members were all at the manager level, and I learned about people development and leadership styles.”

This, combined with her academic and other experiences at the School, Wu says, provide a good foundation for her career. “With my dream and skillset lining up with the emerging cloud era, I am heading toward a strategic and forward-thinking finance job in the Bay Area.”

Student Leadership and Experience

Previous Degree

B.A., Radio and Television, San Francisco State University

Previous Work Experience

Military Information Support Operations Sergeant, US Army

As a veteran recently discharged from active duty, I am excited to be back in the classroom! The UC Davis MBA Program is helping me achieve my goal of translating my military experience into leadership in the private sector. I am being challenged with new subjects that will set me up for excellence in business, and also refining the skills I picked up during my service. I am absolutely confident that UC Davis is giving me all I need to shine as a leader in today’s business environment!”

Fun Facts

Likes running, yoga, billiards, baseball, and traveling.

Has been to 30 of the 50 states, and hopes to see them all!

Contact

Email: cdarby@ucdavis.edu

Internship

Company Name: Mars, Inc.

Position: MBA Student Fellow

Location: Davis, CA

Fun fact: We got to tour a pet food production facility in Sparks, NV!

My team worked with Mars, Inc. to set the stage for a proactive food safety culture in the food industry. The internship let all of us apply what we had learned so far in school, and gave us insight into high-level strategic planning. Working with Mars was a great experience, and we’re excited to see what will happen in the future!

Student Leadership and Experience

UC Davis MBA Ambassador

Marketing club member

Previous Degree

B.S. Genetics, UC Davis

Previous Work Experience

Marketing associate, Affymetrix

Research associate, Medimmune(AstraZenica)

The degree is not necessarily what will be useful however the education I receive is what will really shine. The skills I learn in an MBA program are too varied and abundant to list all by name. Very generally, it will define the type of leader I will become. It will instill in the me the skills necessary to excel at my profession. It will allow me to pursue the career I had alway wanted and not for the one I happened upon. It is the catalyst to next chapter of my life.

Fun Facts

I enjoy taking silly pictures in beautiful locations.

I like to play home run derby on little league size fields.

This summer I was bluff charged by a large unseen animal in Yosemite.

When I forget to turn on music while showering I will undoubtedly sing Boyz II Men “On bended knee”

Previous Degree

Previous Work Experience

Assistant Consultant , Tata Consultancy Services (8 years)

The quality of the entering class is the most outstanding aspect of GSM. Every single person offers something very different to the table. It provides an amazing learning experience without the side effects of unhealthy competition. The size of the class helps us immensely in having a one to one relation with every single class mate and also with the faculty. Finally the outstanding alumni connection helps us in our career progression. The career development team and admissions team will constantly motivate you towards excelling in every possible aspect imaginable.

Contact

Student Leadership and Experience

Active Member of Women in Leadership, Associated Students of Management, and Net Impact

Previous Degree

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering from Penn State University

Previous Work Experience

US Navy, Naval Officer 10 years

The people have made an enormous difference. The environment is close-knit and supportive, where everyone is rooting for each others’ success. The connections that I continue to make through the GSM have already opened doors within the industry, and impress me daily.

Student Leadership and Experience

Previous Degree

B.A, English Literature, Changsha University of Science and Technology

Previous Work Experience

Vice President of Personal Business Dpt, China Industrial Bank, Guangzhou

Vice Branch Manager, China Merchants Bank, Guangzhou

Davis is a gift for me! In my eight-year career life, I never thought that new knowledge and challenges could be so intangible. Fortunately, I can easily get help from the professors, faculty and classmates. Here I feel like everyone is concerning about me and ‘pushing’ me to be better, which encourages me to improve myself faster. New inspiration keeps coming out; I am enjoying myself in this fast speed!

Student Leadership and Experience

English Teacher at Chengdu Sports University in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Previous Degree

B.S., Marketing, Louisiana State University

Previous Work Experience

Brand Ambassador at Winston Wines in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Measurement Analyst at the National Board of Medical Examiners, Philadelphia, PA

Market Research Analyst at Vertex, Inc., Berwyn, PA

Getting an MBA from UC Davis will provide me with technical skills I need to be a leader in the business world as well as the opportunity to learn about the wine industry in general and network with some of California’s great wine companies.

Fun Facts

Spent three years living in China and traveling around Southeast Asia.

Student Leadership and Experience

Previous Degree

Previous Work Experience

Property Coordinator, Marriott International

Front Office Supervisor, Marriott International

Q: What do you value most about your experience in the UC Davis MBA program?

A: I love the small class size at the GSM because it creates a real community vibe here. I know all my classmates, and my professors know me by name. I don’t feel like just another student. Everyone knows who I am, and what I’m trying to accomplish.

Previous Work Experience

The community and environment here at the GSM are truly remarkable. My talented classmates and amazing professors inspire me on a daily basis. Everyone knows me by name and I feel at home. The career team continues to push me to improve. I am confident that the UC Davis MBA program is propelling me towards a successful corporate law career.

Fun Facts

Enjoy playing sports, music, chess, cornhole

Completed the Fenton’s Challenge (3 pints of ice cream in under 20 minutes) in 9 minutes.

Student Leadership and Experience

Previous Degree

B.S., International Economics & Trade, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology

Previous Work Experience

Personal Banker, Citibank

Personal Relationship Manager, HSBC Bank

The UC Davis MBA has a very collaborative culture. The faculty and students are like family. Every week students and faculty meet together to discuss the student experience. With a UC Davis MBA, I am confident I will achieve long term success.

Previous Degree

Previous Work Experience

Director, California Fire Foundation

Campaign Manager, California State Assembly/Senate

I am continually grateful for the personalized experience we get as students at the GSM. We have the opportunity to get to know many of our professors personally, and likewise, they take a keen interest in fostering our individual goals and ambitions. I truly feel like each day at the GSM presents a new chance for growth and opportunities, and am extremely grateful for the relationships I’ve formed with my fellow classmates and members of the GSM community.

The UC Davis MBA experience positioned me for success as the senior director of financial planning and analysis at Method, where we make premium healthy home and personal care products. The Graduate School of Management’s community and diversity of views opened me up to the idea that with good branding, innovation and a dedicated team, a company can change the world for the better while maximizing returns to investors.

Working on a consulting project for Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest nonprofit health system, gave our team a crash course in healthcare economics, played out in the middle of the national healthcare debate. Now I help oversee quality and operations support at The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser’s affiliated physician-owned for-profit partnership in Northern California.

The leadership, collaboration and communications skills I learned in the UC Davis MBA program are critical to my success at Shell. My ability to build and motivate effective teams, understand our structure and strategy, and map power and influence in our stakeholder communities fuel my career.

My UC Davis MBA experience was a life-shaping moment in a well-timed career pivot. The combination of excellent professors and an experienced, diverse student body was invaluable. The School’s focus on developing a holistic approach to fostering individual professional growth while deepening business acumen is unique.

Previous Degrees

B.S., Finance, California State University, Hayward

My career allows me to strike a rare balance between making money and making meaning. At Medtronic, I am accountable for $200+ million in revenue and 160 sales, service and management colleagues. My UC Davis MBA gave me a global perspective and opportunities to collaborate, tap synergies and improve project outcomes. I use the lessons for effective teamwork every day.

(Davis, Calif.) – With a joint goal of speeding the transfer of new technologies from the laboratory to the commercial marketplace, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories have announced a new partnership for researchers to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

What opportunities, decisions, events have shaped your professional life?

My career path has been a climb across a jungle gym rather than a tangent up a corporate ladder. As a child, I used to thumb through the three-inch JCPenney catalogue, picking out the professional women who I would grow to be. I wanted to rule the world from a corner office in a suit and heels. I wanted to shed my humble origins and become Corporate Barbie.

Agilent Technologies’ Electronic Measurement Group is a $3.6 billion business that over the past decade has seen a dramatic shift in its customer base from U.S., and Western European customers to predominantly Asia-based customers. Today, the majority of the division’s revenues are generated outside of the U.S., with an increasing concentration in China.

(Davis, CA) — The UC Davis Graduate School of Management’s full-time MBA program has been ranked among the top six percent of AACSB International-accredited programs nationwide, according to U.S. News & World Report’s latest graduate business school rankings released today.